Check Out Charities Before Donating

It’s admirable to donate to charities, and there sure have been a lot to donate to lately, but how do you know if you’re money’s really going where it’s supposed to? What exactly is your donation being spent on? Don’t get me wrong, charitable giving is a good selfless act. However, if you want to maximize the effect your money will make, you need to know what it’s being spent on.

Charities have expenses just like the rest of us. They pay for utilities, telephone service, mail, and other things. Many charities also pay salaries, some quite generous, to their employees. Is that what you want your money going toward? Bills and salaries? Of course some of your donation will have to be spent on those things, but how much of it?

My favorite way to find out about a charity is to go online to www.CharityNavigator.org. They show the charity’s revenue, expenses, assets, some salaries, and much more. They also assign the charity a rating of 1 to 5 stars. You can search for charities by name, rating, or category.

With all of the fundraising going on for Haiti, Japan, and other places, it’s good to know whether 9% or 90% of your donation is going toward program expenses.

For more information about charities that you’re contemplating donating to, or to search for a charity by category, you may find the following websites helpful: